Notice

Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle Testbed: Competition Document

Updated 5 March 2021

1. Introduction

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition seeks proposals for novel and innovative sensors and payloads to be trialled on an Extra-Large, Uncrewed, Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV). The XLUUV is a platform the Royal Navy uses to understand potential capabilities of autonomous vehicles. This competition is looking for technologies ready for on-platform testing and validation which can help the Royal Navy innovate for the next generation of underwater capabilities.

Trialling sensors and payloads on the XLUUV will develop the Royal Navy’s understanding of the utility and operational boundaries of Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) systems. We are now in the latter stage of the original competition ‘Developing the Royal Navy’s Autonomous Underwater Capability’. The XLUUV is being tested in representative environments for extended periods. Stage 2 sea trials start in March 2021 and are open-ended (primarily determined by weather).

The XLUUV will test sensors and payloads in a range of scenarios. The testing is not intended at this point to lead to a procurement of sensors or payloads. Rather, the key objective of this competition is to gain insights from these tests, including the potential and limitations of UUV, to help the Royal Navy shape future requirements and design future capabilities and concepts of operation.

Up to £20k will be made available to innovators who are selected from this competition, for travel and subsistence costs, and the costs of any integration and removal time.

This is an opportunity for suppliers to demonstrate capabilities at high Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) of TRL 4 and above. Funding is not available for development of low TRL solutions. This competition closes on 13 April 2021 (BST) at midday.

2. Competition Scope

2.1 Background

Defence has an enduring requirement for an increased presence within the underwater battlespace and is looking to address the lack of current options in order to increase the number of delivery-ready platforms and reduce the risk to human life.

To shape the understanding of current cutting-edge capabilities, a strategy of exploration and analysis has been adopted to better inform capacity and requirements of extra large maritime autonomous system use for future Royal Navy operations.

Though it is possible to increase presence in the underwater battlespace with smaller, discrete, autonomous systems, these cannot complete many of the operations undertaken by larger crewed vehicles. These missions include but are not limited to surveillance and reconnaissance; underwater data gathering; discrete payload delivery and recovery; and remote automated sense and warn capability.

The Royal Navy needs fully autonomous systems with similar capabilities including the ability to sense, understand and decide without human input. The systems will complement crewed platforms, by increasing mass in the underwater battlespace and taking over dull, dirty and dangerous tasks from crewed platforms.

The exact composition of the autonomous underwater force (its “force mix”) is not yet determined, therefore all proposals should be designed only around the XLUUV. Bidders should be mindful of space, weight and power requirements of the trial XLUUV platform, which is 8.95m long and weighs 8.9 tonnes. An interface document provides more detail. All suppliers will need to request a copy of the interface document by email to [email protected]. For supplier confidentiality reasons it has not been listed publicly on this competition page.

2.2 Scope

The trialling of sensors and payloads in an underwater environment on a large underwater vessel is a complex undertaking and successful suppliers are expected to work closely with the Royal Navy project team to ensure successful delivery.
Sensor types that could be considered for these trials;

• electro-optical (EO)
• electronic warfare (EW)
• communications electronic support measures (CESM)
• and acoustic or non-acoustic surveillance systems (for example credible long range Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW))

However, this list is not exhaustive and other sensors will be considered on their individual merit.

Enabling capabilities that could be considered for these trials are ones which improve;

• mobility
• control
• endurance
• energetics
• autonomy
• trust
• reliability
• availability
• cost efficiency

This competition has a two-step submission process;

1) Submit a One-Page Pitch. The one-page pitch must be completed on DASA’s online submission platform following the onscreen guidance. Successful proposals will be invited to submit a full proposal;

2) Submit a Full Proposal. The full proposal includes details of the sensor(s) or payload(s). All innovations must be at TRL 4 and above that require testing or validation in sea trials. Further information on TRLs can be found on our website.

£20K funding is available to all successful proposals. This is to provide travel, subsistence and time in support of the XLUUV team for integration and subsequent removal of any equipment. Cost breakdown and justification is to be included with each proposal.

Proposals must include a short description of any previous testing and trialling undertaken, if classification, IP or NDA restrictions do not allow disclosure then the wording; “previous testing and trialling has taken place and is bound by extant IP/NDA/Classification issue (delete as appropriate)” must be inserted. They must also clearly identify the capability that the supplier wishes to test / validate in the trial, how the data collected will prove this capability, and the benefit that will be gained from a successful trial. A brief overview of the trial plan should be included in the proposal, the Royal Navy team will then work with the supplier to create a detailed plan.

Note that the XLUUV is classified at the government classification level “OFFICIAL”. Any proposal to integrate higher classification equipment must be noted in the proposal with explanation of how this could be achieved within the associated constraints.

Trialling slots will be allocated to successful proposals once contracts have been issued, subject to weather and other unforeseen factors.

2.3 Health and Safety

Suppliers must ensure their equipment or procedures meet the minimum required health and safety standards and regulations for trialling, including but not limited to: Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) certification; completion of detailed risk assessments; and, evidence that specific standards have been met if required such as solutions that emit ionising radiation must comply with Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17).

DASA, its partners and the XLUUV supplier reserve the right to terminate the contract if either party is not content with a supplier’s health and safety / regulatory compliance.

2.3.1 Risk assessment

Suppliers who are successfully down-selected will be required to work with MSubs (the XLUUV supplier) in order to develop appropriate risk assessments. Suppliers are best placed to understand their equipment (for example, its components, how it works, how it will be operated and how it is intending to provide capability within an XLUUV) and so there is an expectation that they will be prepared to share relevant information with MSubs in order to develop the risk assessments, suitable protection of both companies IPR will be put in place. Using the information provided, MSubs will conduct the initial risk assessment and put in place measures to conduct the trial safely. Immediately before trials are carried out, a final review of the equipment and trial plan will be conducted and a final risk assessment will be completed by MSubs, after which any changes to the methodology will be made before the trial takes place. The risk assessments will be owned by MSubs.

In order to support the development of the risk assessments, suppliers must consider the hazards which could cause harm to human safety and the safety of marine mammals. The following list, which is not exhaustive, may help suppliers to consider the risks involved:

• electrical safety – exposed high voltage electrical wires which can cause an electric shock, specially capacitors, arcing, etc.
• motion safety – moving and rotating parts, spinning shafts etc. which can hit or snag and cause physical damage
• chemical safety – toxic, irritants, carcinogens, etc, which can cause damage when pouring, spilled accidently from equipment or though leakage
• optical safety – lasers, sharp items protruding, and small particles being released can cause eye damage
• flammable and heat safety – heat sources causing damage to skin through contact from liquids, solids, gases, flame, rapid oxidisation, lasers, etc.
• freezing and cold safety – cold sources causing damage to the skin through contact from liquid, solids, gases, etc.
• breathing safety – difficulty in breathing due to damage to the lungs or restricted airways from chemicals, gases, vapours, etc.
• radiation safety – exposure to unsafe levels of ionising and non-ionizing radiation like x-ray, microwave, nuclear materials, etc.
• magnetic safety – if it’s safe for humans it should not have effect as staff used will not be pregnant or fitted with pacemakers
• radar safety – if it’s safe for humans it should not have effect as staff used will not be pregnant or fitted with pacemakers
• sonar safety – risk posed by sonar to marine mammals

Risks to human safety should be mitigated through strict observance of British health and safety standards. In the rare instance that this is not possible, suppliers’ proposals must clearly explain how a risk will be mitigated.

3. Competition Challenges

3.1 Clarification of what we want

We want novel solutions which might be prototypes (above TRL 4) or commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products adapted for novel use, which can be integrated with the XLUUV in order to develop the Royal Navy’s concept of use for UUVs. As described in section 8, there is a wide array of tasks in the underwater battlespace which would benefit from being conducted by uncrewed systems and the simplified first stage of the proposal process (the One-Page Pitch) allows the widest possible audience of innovators to compete for rare access to one of the Royal Navy’s underwater platforms and end-user community.

Your proposal should include the following:

• evidence of a sensor or payload that will contribute to enhanced XLUUV operations, and that has reached a prototype stage (TRL 4 or above) and requires testing
• or evidence of novel use case for adapting a COTS product
• a clear demonstration of how the proposed sensor / payload will improve how an XLUUV operates, either through contributing to the vignettes detailed in section 8 or another idea which will be evaluated on a case by case basis

3.2 Clarification of what we do not want

For this competition we are not interested in proposals that:

• are pre-prototype, such as consultancy, paper-based studies or literature reviews, build and early design of a novel system
• relate to further development of a solution without novel modification/adaptation to the XLUUV platform, this competition is for trialling only
• do not offer significant benefit to Royal Navy in terms of potential future capability
• are an identical resubmission of a previous bid to DASA or MOD without modification
• offer demonstrations of commercial off-the-shelf products without modification or adaptation and requiring no trialling or validation for exploitation
• offer no real prospect of out-competing existing technological solutions

4. Exploitation

The key objective of this competition is to gain insights from sea trials of sensors and payloads on uncrewed underwater vehicles. Insights gained will help the Royal Navy shape future requirements and design future capabilities and concepts of operation in the underwater battlespace.

You should aim to demonstrate the operational benefit of your proposed solution during the trials, and this should be clearly articulated in your proposal.

5. How to apply

You will need to submit your one-page pitch before 8th March 2021. If successful you will be invited to tender within a closed competition, based on approval of your one-page pitch submission. In order to qualify for further consideration, your full proposal must be submitted by midday, 13th April 2021.

Funding of £100K is available to fund multiple proposals in this trialling competition. Completed proposals must comply with the financial rules set for this competition. The upper limit for this competition is £20K. Proposals will be rejected if the financial cost exceeds this capped level. If successful, contracts can be awarded for varying durations, but all deliverables must be completed by 28 February 2022.

Further guidance on submitting a proposal is available on the DASA website.

5.1 What your proposal must include

5.1.1 One-Page Pitch

One-Page Pitches should provide;

• a description of the technology to be tested
• a brief overview of the benefits the technology will provide in supporting the delivery of appropriate military scenarios (for example, those outlined in section 8 of the competition document)
• a description of current readiness of the solution for testing at sea in the XLUUV
• a description of the tests and trials to be conducted on the XLUUV, and explanation of how these support military applications
• an explanation of how you would meet your objectives without access to the XLUUV platform and what impact this would have on your technology’s development

And estimates of:

• time required to trial your technology on the XLUUV
• time and equipment required to fit and remove your technology to and from the XLUUV before and after the trials
• other notable constraints and requirements

One-page pitches are to be submitted through DASA’s online submission system. If you are proposing multiple solutions they will each require a separate one-page pitch. There are headings for each of the criteria listed above. Please note that no documents can be attached to the one-page pitch and strict word limits apply, this ensures we can respond to all one-page pitches within the submission period.

5.1.2 Full proposal

Full proposals will only be required from suppliers once their one-page pitch has been accepted. Suppliers will be notified once successful or unsuccessful and invited to re-enter the DASA online submission system to complete the full proposal.

Full proposals (“proposal”) should focus on the competition requirements. When submitting a proposal, you must complete all sections of the online form, including an appropriate level of technical information to allow assessment of the bid and a completed finances section.

All online submissions must include:

• a detailed description of your solution, how it operates and how it will fit into an XLUUV including details of dimensions and power supply required
• a draft trial plan, outlining how you would ideally like your equipment to be tested. This will be used by the Project team and MSubs to produce testing methodologies suited to different equipment types. Please note, this plan will be used as a guide only and final trial plans will follow the procedure mandated by the XLUUV Project team and MSubs as the supplier of the XLUUV trials platform

We expect to see plans and schedules for achievement of the following deliverables within your proposal:

• a kick-off meeting with MSubs and regular reviews with the designated Project Manager and Technical Partner
• a detailed work plan for testing following consultation with MSubs who will determine the testing methodology with XLUUV Project team
• a Firm Price, ex VAT, including a full breakdown of costs. Only costs for travel, subsistence, and time supporting integration and removal of the sensor or payload into XLUUV will be reimbursed. All other costs are to be covered by the supplier and proposals including such costs will be selected-out in the assessment process
• a resourcing plan that identifies, where possible, the nationalities of any Research Workers expected to work on the project. In the event of proposals being recommended for funding, DASA reserves the right to undertake due diligence checks including the clearance of proposed Research Workers. Please note that this process will take as long as necessary and could take up to 6 weeks in some cases for non-UK nationals
• any additional ethical / legal / regulatory factors associated with your proposal (aside from those included in section 3) and related risk management plan, including break points in the project if approvals are not received. RIPA and/or MODREC approvals can take up to 5 months therefore you should plan your work programme accordingly. Further details are available in the DASA guidance
• a brief Capability Integration and Performance Assessment Report, a template for this report can be found at on the competition page

Note that apart from the XLUUV, no Government Furnished Assets (GFA) will be provided as part of this competition.

All deliverables in the proposals must be fully completed by 28 February 2022. Proposals with any deliverables outside the contracted timeline will be disqualified.

Take note: sea trials are inherently open-ended as they rely on weather conditions. This introduces risk of significant delay, suppliers must be comfortable with this level of flexibility before submitting a proposal.

Failure to provide any of the above listed will automatically render your proposal non-compliant.

In order to reduce the burden on suppliers, risk assessments and Supplier Assurance Questionnaires (SAQ) will not be required until contracts are issued. Successful suppliers will have to produce risk assessments in consultation with MSubs following the close of the competition in order to be fully compliant with the terms of their contract. These must include evidence of meeting the health and safety standards as detailed in section 2.3, and will require approval from the Project Manager, XLUUV Project team and MSubs before commencement of sea trials.

5.2 Cyber risk assessment

Successful suppliers must complete the Supplier Assurance Questionnaire (SAQ) after being notified of their successful proposal. This is a new UK Government requirement and often takes suppliers longer than expected to complete, so we strongly recommend starting the process quickly (it can be done at any stage).

This competition has a cyber risk level of Very Low and as such, suppliers must submit a Supplier Assurance Questionnaire (SAQ) on the Supplier Cyber Protection Portal. The SAQ allows suppliers to demonstrate compliance with the specified risk level and the corresponding profile in Def Stan 05-138, the levels of controls required will depend on this risk level. Suppliers should create an account in the Supplier Cyber Protection Portal if they do not already have one, and will be able to find the corresponding SAQ to the requirement by searching the Risk Assessment Reference (RAR) for this competition: RAR-GD3D4Z24. Further guidance can be found at: DCPP: Cyber Security Model industry buyer and supplier guide .

5.3 Public facing information

When submitting your proposal, you will be required to include a proposal title and a short abstract. If your proposal is funded, the title and abstract you provide will be used by DASA, and other government departments as appropriate, to describe the project and its intended outcomes and benefits. It will be used for inclusion at DASA events in relation to this competition and included in documentation such as brochures for the event. The proposal title will also be published in the DASA transparency data on gov.uk, along with your company name, the amount of funding, and the start and end dates of your contract.

5.4 How your proposal will be assessed

Answers provided within your one-page pitch will be checked for compliance with the competition document and may be rejected without a full proposal being invited if they do not comply. Only one-page pitches which demonstrate compliance with the competition scope and DASA criteria will be taken forward to full proposal. Failure to achieve full compliance will render your proposal non-compliant and will not be considered further:

Mandatory Criteria – One-Page Pitch

One-page pitch received before the closing date. (8 March 2021)	Pass / Fail
All questions in the one-page pitch submission are answered, and the one-page pitch meets the scope of the competition and fits within the competition objectives.	Within scope (Pass) / Out of scope (Fail)

If your one-page pitch is accepted, you will be invited to submit a full proposal. Assessment of the full proposal is split into two stages.

At Stage 1 all proposals will be checked for compliance with the competition document and may be rejected before full assessment if they do not comply. Only those proposals which demonstrate compliance with the competition scope and DASA criteria will be taken forward to full assessment. Failure to achieve full compliance against this stage will render your proposal non-compliant and will not be considered any further.

Mandatory Criteria – full proposal

The proposal outlines how it meets the scope of the competition	Within scope (Pass) / Out of scope (Fail)
The proposal fully explains in all three sections of the DASA submission service how it meets the DASA criteria.	Pass / Fail
The proposal contains a firm price with full breakdown of costs, valid for three months.	Pass / Fail
The proposal clearly details a financial plan, a project plan and a resourcing plan to complete the work proposed.	Pass / Fail
The proposal identifies the need (or not) for MODREC and RIPA approval.	Pass / Fail
The supplier includes a draft trials plan.	Pass / Fail
The proposal identifies current TRL appropriate for testing proposed; we require a TRL level of 4 or above.	Pass / Fail
Costings are only for the appropriate trialling costs and no unrelated research and development is included.	Pass / Fail
Maximum value of proposal is £20k.	Pass / Fail
The proposal demonstrates how all activities/services (including delivery of the final report) will be completed by 28 February 2022.	Pass / Fail
The bidder has obtained the authority to provide unqualified acceptance of the terms and conditions of the Contract.	Pass / Fail

Proposals that are successful at Stage 1 will then be assessed against the DASA assessment criteria (Desirability, Feasibility and Viability) by subject matter experts from the XLUUV Project Team (including Dstl, the Royal Navy and MSubs) and other government departments. You will not have the opportunity to comment on assessors’ comments. As MSubs is not a Government entity, all equipment, data, protocols and procedures and other assets provided by successful suppliers for this competition will be deemed Government Furnished Assets (GFA) in accordance with DASA’s standard procedure. GFA will then be provided to any non-Government parties to the contract (in this case MSubs) thereby protecting the assets from misuse.

DASA reserves the right to disclose on a confidential basis any information it receives from bidders during the procurement process (including information identified by the bidder as Commercially Sensitive Information in accordance with the provisions of this competition) to any third party engaged by DASA for the specific purpose of evaluating or assisting DASA in the evaluation of the bidder’s proposal. In providing such information the bidder consents to such disclosure. Appropriate confidentiality agreements will be put in place.

Further guidance on how your proposal is assessed is available on the DASA website.

After assessment, proposals will be discussed internally at a Decision Conference where, based on the assessments, budget and wider strategic considerations, a decision will be made on the proposals that are recommended for funding.

Proposals that are unsuccessful will receive brief feedback after the Decision Conference.

5.5 Things you should know about DASA contracts

Please read the DASA terms and conditions which contain important information for suppliers. For this competition we will be using the terms and conditions and Schedules. No previously agreed terms and conditions will be acceptable.

Funded projects will be allocated a Project Manager (to lead the project) and a Technical Partner (as a technical point of contact). In addition, the DASA team will work with you to support delivery and exploitation.

We will use deliverables from DASA contracts in accordance with our rights detailed in the contract terms and conditions.

There may be occasions where additional funding from other funding lines may subsequently become available to allow us to revisit those proposals deemed suitable for funding but where limitations on funding at the time prevented DASA from awarding a subsequent Contract. In such situations, DASA reserves the right to keep such proposals in reserve. In the event that additional funding subsequently becomes available, DASA may ask whether you would still be prepared to undertake the work outlined in your proposal under the same terms. Your official DASA feedback will indicate if your proposal was fundable or not.

6. Competition Dates

Competition launch (one-page pitch submission window opens)	15 February 2021
Pre-bookable 1:1 teleconference sessions	2 March 2021
One-page pitch submission window closes	8 March 2021 (Midday)
Full proposals invited (successful bids only)	10 March 2021
Pre-bookable 1:1 teleconference sessions	16 March 2021
Competition closes	13 April 2021 (Midday)
Notification to suppliers	28 April 2021
Feedback released	12 May 2021
Contracting (inc. Supplier Assurance Questionnaires and MSubs engagement for risk assessments)	Aim to start the contracting process 28 April 2021. Suppliers should expect to be on-contract no earlier than 2 June 2021. Contracts will end no later than 28 February 2022.

6.1 Supporting events

Tuesday 02 March and Tuesday 16 March 2021 – A series of 25-minute one-to-one teleconference sessions, giving you the opportunity to ask specific questions about the competition to the competition team, including technical experts and representatives from the Royal Navy’s underwater battlespace team. If you would like to participate, please register on the respective Eventbrite page.

02 March 2021 (closing date Friday 26 February at 6pm)

16 March 2021 (closing date Friday 12 March at 6pm)

If demand exceeds sessions available an additional date may be arranged.

7. Help

Competition queries including on process, application, commercial, technical and intellectual property aspects should be sent to [email protected], quoting the competition title. If you wish to be added to the campaign on ECS please email a request into the accelerator inbox, this will ensure you receive future updates on this competition.

While all reasonable efforts will be made to answer queries, DASA reserves the right to impose management controls if volumes of queries restrict fair access of information to all potential suppliers.

7.1. Technical details of XLUUV platform

The XLUUV platform provider, MSubs Ltd, have provided an interface control document for technical information to support supplier proposals (ref. S201-GA-09 XLUUV (S201) Interface Control Document). It is available to all suppliers and must be requested by emailing [email protected].

8. Vignettes of possible testing methodologies

In all vignettes below, the XLUUV must be capable of leaving harbour, transiting to or from an operational/holding location, and returning to harbour autonomously (including changes in speed, direction, velocity and attitude). Proposed sensors/payloads must not inhibit the XLUUV’s ability to manoeuvre or carry out any of those tasks.

8.1 Vignette 1 - Covert intelligence gathering

In this scenario, an XLUUV is tasked to gather covert intelligence of traffic transiting in a maritime operational area. The XLUUV leaves its dock and autonomously, and covertly, transits underwater to the maritime operational area. It positions in the operational area either at or below periscope depth, and monitors traffic for up to 3 months; above water electronic, underwater acoustic and optical intelligence gathering using a range of sensors. It may position on the sea floor and release a tethered sensor to periscope depth that would then be recovered before returning to periscope depth. During this period a reportable incident occurs, in this case the passing of a vessel of interest, whereby the XLUUV reports the incident to control and continues monitoring.

8.2 Vignette 2 – Anti-submarine warfare barriers

In this scenario, an XLUUV is tasked with enacting an anti-submarine barrier in a particular location. The XLUUV leaves its dock in the harbour and autonomously, and covertly, transits underwater to the checkpoint. Upon reaching the checkpoint, the XLUUV proceeds to patrol a pre-determined area for up to 3 months. During this period, it encounters (recognises the acoustic signature of) a target of interest, and identifies it as hostile. Upon identification, it covertly reports the incident to control, before returning to station and continuing the patrol. Alternatively, upon reporting the incident to control, the XLUUV could be re-tasked.

8.3 Vignette 3 - Deploy & Recover

In this scenario an XLUUV is tasked with covertly deploying a sensor payload to the seabed and recovering it at a later date. The XLUUV leaves harbour and autonomously, and covertly, transits to just outside the operational area, rising to periscope depth to await signal. A ‘go code’ is transmitted from control; the XLUUV dives to operation depth and transits to operational area before dropping the payload on the seabed. The XLUUV exits the operational area, rises to periscope depth, and transmits a ‘complete code’ before autonomously, and covertly, returning to harbour or holding area. At a later date, an XLUUV is tasked with covertly recovering the sensor payload from the seabed.

9. Annex A: Technical Clarifications

The following section comprises of answers to questions posed to the XLUUV team. All questions have been reworded into a generic format. The answers provided supersede any verbal communications provided prior to March 4 2021. Answers may also go further and provide greater clarification owing to further time for the project team to consider questions.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Q: Are design costs covered by the funding?

A: No

Q: Are integration costs covered by the funding?

A: Costs of time are covered for integration, where other resources are required for the integration this will be agreed pre-contract with the platform provider.

Q: Where will trials be carried out?

A: Off the coast of Plymouth.

Q: Are there restrictions on use of standard communications equipment (inc. SATCOM and radio)?

A: No, however if invited to submit a full proposal, you will be able to specify communications requirements.

Q: What do you expect the trials to look like?

A: The trials are very much open to be designed in ways which you feel best showcase your capability. To give some insight to suppliers less familiar with maritime environment a trial would look something like the XLUUV sailing from Plymouth, travel underwater at a range of different depths, put a mast clear of the water, test sensors on the mast, go deep again, then return.

Q: Will there be any simulated targets available to test sensors against?

A: Where required these must be specified in Q5 of the 1-Page Pitch.

Q: Will there be any safety vehicles on the water with the XLUUV?

A: Yes, most likely a Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat.

Q: Can we partner with another supplier in our bid?

A: Yes, but one supplier should act as the prime supplier and the submission made in their name. Any partners should be detailed in the proposal.

Q: Are non-UK companies allowed to enter this competition.

A: Yes.

Q: What voltage is available on the XLUUV platform?

A: Provided in the Interface Control Document (ICD) which can be requested by email to [email protected]